


Luminescent

by CasidheRose



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, First Dates, Fluff, Humanstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 10:47:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16952580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasidheRose/pseuds/CasidheRose
Summary: Your name is Feferi Peixes, and you're about to go on your first date with your crush.





	Luminescent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Spirolateral](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spirolateral/gifts).



> This is some kind of poorly-defined humanstuck AU where Feferi lives on a refitted fishing boat and Aradia is some kind of amateur spelunker. It’s really not too far from their situations in canon, at least before Aradia’s death, but for some reason I felt like setting it on Alternia wouldn’t quite fit. enj0y! <3

You’re a little nervous on the way out to the meeting point, since it’s already getting dark, but at least you feel at home on the water. Your trusty vessel, the _Cuttlefish_ , cuts a neat path through the glinting malachite waves, following the curves of the shoreline as you keep a keen lookout for the secluded inlet she marked in burgundy ink on the map. Before long, you see it, and the flash of an electric lantern that must be Aradia. You try to temper your combination of a delighted grin and an anxious blush just a little, and pull the _Cuttlefish_ in towards the shore. As you cut the engine and weigh anchor before hopping overboard to splash through the shallows, you see her up close, with a similar expression on her face. Her smiling face is framed by the brim of her ‘adventuring hat’ (as she called it) and her thick, curly black hair.

“Feferi! I’m glad you made it on time!” She calls out, running up to you but stopping just short of a hug. “Sorry this is such a weird place for a date, but I figured you’d like it since it’s by the sea, and I have something _really_ cool to show you.” You smile, looking around at the rocky cove, and notice a cave entrance further back.  
“I’m guessing that’s it?” Aradia nods enthusiastically, before noticing your expression.  
“Sure is. Are you...alright? You look a little anxious.”  
“I’ll be fine, I’m just not the best with caves.” She rests a hand gently on your shoulder, sending a momentary shiver through you despite the heat of her touch, and smiles warmly.  
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right here to keep you safe. Nothing’s gonna hurt us - check out my _mussels_!” Aradia grins and makes an exaggerated show of flexing, and you both dissolve into laughter. “Feeling okay now?”  
“I _shore_ am, thank you.” She takes your hand, and you walk down into the cave mouth together.

It’s surprisingly easy to keep your footing, aside from the occasional patch of slippery moss, and the light from Aradia’s lantern is more than sufficient to fill the passageway you find yourself in. It goes on for a while longer than you’d expect of a sea cave, and although you’d be scared under any other circumstances, the way Aradia confidently navigates its twists and turns puts you at ease. You make small talk as you progress through the cave, although she’s clearly excited to reveal whatever this ‘really cool thing’ is, and you’re pretty curious yourself. The way her eyes light up when she enthusiastically rambles about her latest discovery and archaeological theories makes the butterflies in your stomach even more intense, and when you tell her about your work on the boat and your ideas for distant nautical voyages, she looks at you in a way you’ve only ever seen her look at breathtaking ruins or miraculously recovered artefacts. You almost forget that you’ve been holding Aradia’s hand until her thumb brushes across yours tenderly, and you feel your cheeks flush pink.

Eventually, you reach a point where the passage begins to widen, and Aradia stops walking. She turns to you, her dark brown eyes sparkling with anticipation, and glances back towards the path ahead.  
“We’re nearly there! But to show you this properly, I’m gonna have to turn the lantern off, okay?” She notices your look of discomfort and gives your hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry, I’ll be right here with you.” You nod, somewhat reluctantly.  
“Okay…” When the light flicks out, you’re blind for a second, but as your vision returns you start to see a faint glow from further ahead. Aradia waits for a moment to make sure you can see okay, and then leads you onwards. The path tilts upwards slightly, and at last leads you into a much larger cavern.

It’s one of the most beautiful sights you’ve ever seen, and that’s even without Aradia looking over at you with pride and admiration written clearly across her face. The entire ceiling and walls of the cavern are covered in bioluminescent moss and lichen, glowing in shades of pale blue and green like an impossibly starry sky. Meandering patterns of light shift and reflect off of dozens of rock pools dotted around the cave floor, each one harbouring a collection of anemones and molluscs. You feel an immense appreciation for life, for every living thing making up the impossible beauty of this place, and most of all for Aradia Megido. After a long moment of silence, punctuated only by dripping water and the distant echo of the waves, she speaks up.

“So...what do you think?” You don’t know what to say at first, and stumble over your words.  
“I...it’s...how did you even find this place? It’s wonderful! I never even imagined anything like this could exist!” She grins, revelling in your happiness just as much as the beauty of the cavern.  
“Honestly, it was just a matter of time. Most of the other caves I explored along here were empty aside from a few run-of-the-mill fish fossils, but eventually I found this one, and I immediately knew I had to show you.”  


“You thought of me first? Oh gosh, I…” The blush is impossible to control this time, and you throw your arms around Aradia, hugging her tightly. After a split second of surprise, she hugs you back, soft and warm and inviting. You stand there for a long moment, embracing closely amidst the gentle bioluminescence before separating. The expression on her face is hard to read, somewhere between awe and contentment and desire...her gently parted lips seem to be sending a wordless message, and you respond to it without even thinking.

The kiss isn’t earth-shattering, it’s not like fireworks going off inside you or any of those tired clichés. It’s more than that. Your heart swells like a tidal wave, almost lifting you off your feet as you lean into Aradia and her lips brush against yours. It’s intense, firm and yet tender, and you feel more connected in that moment than you ever have to another person. When you finally part, after what feels like an eternity, she looks as happy as you feel, gazing into your eyes with a look that can only be described as love. You take her hand in yours again and the two of you look back out over the magical light of the cave in pure bliss.  
**“ <3”**  
**“ <3”**


End file.
